Stephen Dinan
The Washington Times
2/11/2013
While other members of Congress are hosting gun-control advocates for Tuesday’s State of the Union address, Rep. Steve Stockman has given one of his visitor’s gallery tickets to Ted Nugent, the conservative gun-rights supporter.
“I am excited to have a patriot like Ted Nugent joining me in the House Chamber to hear from President Obama,” Mr. Stockman said in a statement announcing the choice. “After the address I’m sure Ted will have plenty to say.”
After the Connecticut school shooting rampage last year, Mr. Obama announced he would push for major changes to the country’s gun laws, and he is expected to renew that call in his Tuesday speech.
To add pressure, gun-control supporters in Congress have decided to invite victims of gun crimes to sit in the galleries.
Mr. Stockman’s decision, though, adds a prominent gun-rights advocate and outspoken conservative to the gallery. Mr. Nugent, who has been a frequent contributor to The Washington Times‘ commentary section, is a member of the National Rifle Association’s board.
Related: Obama’s State of the Union: Aggressive
Also, Rising Voice of Gun Ownership Is Female
…In the debate over firearms regulations, the voices of gun owners have largely been those of men. But at firing ranges across the country, a growing number of women are learning to use firearms and honing their skills.
Women’s participation in shooting sports has surged over the last decade, increasing by 51.5 percent for target shooting from 2001 to 2011, to just over 5 million women, and by 41.8 percent for hunting, according to the National Sporting Goods Association.
Gun sales to women have risen in concert. In a survey last year by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, 73 percent of gun dealers said the number of female customers had gone up in 2011, as had a majority of retailers surveyed in the two previous years.
Manufacturers have increasingly geared advertising toward women…
…Though they may share a fierce belief in the Second Amendment with their male counterparts, female gun owners often learn to shoot for different reasons, their interest in and proficiency with firearms not just a hobby or a means for self-defense, but a statement of independence and personal power…
Update: Rep. Luis Gutierrez to take illegal immigrant to SOTU
…He’ll have Gabino Sanchez seated next to him to highlight another hot topic of the day — immigration reform. Sanchez is an illegal immigrant living in South Carolina.
According to Gutierrez’s website:
The Congressman met Sanchez in November 2011 and pledged to help him fight deportation. The Congressman accompanied Sanchez to his first supervision appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Charleston, S.C. to ask that his deportation case be closed and attended two subsequent hearings (March 12, and May 15, 2012) before an immigration judge in Charlotte, North Carolina…
Update 2: Ted Nugent rocks Capitol Hill ahead of Obama State of the Union
Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, rocker Ted Nugent arrived on Capitol Hill for the State of the Union and promised to keep quiet during President Barack Obama’s speech.
“I left my loin cloth at home,” the musician said, referring to the well-placed costume he wore at his concerts.
But before the speech Nugent, a gun advocate and guest of Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas), intended to say whatever was on his mind…
